Urskaland
'' The Great Kingdom of Yrsaland ''(Ursk: '''De Urskgrutekonegsreik') is a nation located in the northwest of the continent of Norderon, whose territory consists of the Ursk archipelago in the Teleros Sea, and two overseas territories in the far west and northwest of mainland Norderon. The country is one of the most influential in Moradaland, with Ursk being one of two global ''lingua francas. The head of state of Urskaland is Koneg Kristoffer III Eriksson of the house Ingriþisk, and the national anthem of Urskaland is 'Den Urske Vulfur'. Urskaland was a member of the NEU, and a founding member of TOO, but adopted a more isolationist stance after the latter disbanded. Urskaland contains 4 constituent regions: Urskesei, Kaskedland, Kvidland and Sonderland. Urskaland follows the political ideology of Urskism. Urskaland is also a very developed and technologically advanced society, with an high quality of life due to a relatively low population and very high GDP per capita. The Ursk currency is the Geld (Λ'').'' Ursk, a Germanic language, belongs to the Norderonian language family, specifically the Western branch. Etymology and terminology The demonym Ursk comes from the Proto-Germanic word uzjǭ, which means 'fire'. The Proto-Ursk race, who resided in mainland Norderon, were renowned for being excellent smiths, and were given a demonym by the surrounding Germanic peoples which reflected this quality. The suffix '-iskaz' ''was also added to form '''uzesk', which underwent rhotacization to form the Old Ursk ursk'. '' Many other cultures across the world call the nation 'Yrsaland' ''instead, mainly due to a mistranslation attributed to a scribe in 1104CE. The scribe was not a native Ursk speaker, and misidentified the voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative 'ɕ' present in the Eastern dialects of Old Ursk as the voiceless alveolar fricative '''s'. 'Urskesei '''refers to the archipelago in the Teleros Sea. '''Kvidland '''refers to the northern continental territory. '''Sonderland '''refers to the south eastern territory. '''Kaskedland '''refers to the south western territory. '''Urskaland, the Grutekonegsreik, the Urskgrutekonegsreik, GKR, UGKR '''all refer to the entire nation (Urskesei + Kvidland + Sonderland + Kaskedland). Constituent regions ''Main article: Cities of Urskaland Urskaland consists of four main regions. Urskesei The Urskesei is the central nation of Urskaland, and has a population of around 150 million people. The region's capital is also the national capital, Kvarvikhavn. The Urskesei is the core of the entire GKR and is also the birthplace of the Ursk people, the Ursk language, and Ursk culture. Kvarsk Ursk became the standard dialect of Ursk due to the significance of Kvarvikhavn-Ingriþ. The Urskesei contains many of Urskaland's most populous cities, including Inkveron, a city given to SKALAR Corp. by the Ursk government in 1970. The terrain of the region varies from sea level to Mount Adaberg in the north. Kvidland Kvidland is the northern continental territory of Urskaland, and has a population of around 75 million people. Kvidland was the first overseas territory to join the GKR after being settled around 1000CE. To this day, Kvidland and the Urskesei retain the closest relations of any two states in the GKR, and the shipping lane from Vykkurhavn to Kvarvikhavn is the most busy shipping lane in the world. Sonderland Sonderland is the southern continental territory of Urskaland, and has a population of around 60 million people Sonderland was settled in the 13th century, as Ursk farmers and merchants drove the native population out of the region and displaced them entirely. Sonderland is mainly the agricultural hub of the GKR given its latitude. Sonderland is also the homeplace of the Proto-Germanic peoples who developed into the Ursk. Kaskedland Kaskedland is the western continental territory of Urskaland, and has a population of around 100 million people. Kaskedland has the most autonomy of any Ursk state due to its distance from the central governance of Kvarvikhavn, making direct rule in the past difficult. Kaskedland was settled by Sondursk farmers in the 16th century after an invasion of the tribal states which existed there. Kaskedland is an OsKP stronghold and is often seen as the most nationalist territory of the empire. It is somewhat hostile to foreigners and has the least number of immigrants per capita. History ''Main article: The History of Moradaland'' Settlement Urskaland was settled by Western Norderonic (Germanic) tribes around the 5th Century CE. The number of people involved in settling (Ursk: Heimneming) ''the main island is believed to be between 70 - 80 thousand people over 30 years. Over time, two distinct 'dialects' of Old Ursk developed: one in the west and another in the east, separated by the Aunafall mountain range which spans from the north to south of the country. However, the west outnumbered the east by 5 to 1, and by around 600CE, the first documented Ursk texts began to show up, mainly historical documents. Politically, by this time, Ursaland consisted of multiple small duchies and petty kingdoms, and brawls were frequent, although in the old Germano-Ursk culture, killing another member of your tribe was seen as an evil action - even though the dialects had split slightly, people from the West and East still believed them and the others to be Ursk. Records tell us that in 724CE, the great-grandson of the king of the original Ursk settlers became the monarch of a united Urskaland when the king of the East swore fealty to him. The first Koneg (king), Asbjorn I Thorvaldsson, son of the formidable Thorvald 'Ironaxe' Eriksson, founded the Ingriþisk dynasty and set the capital of the nation to the largest city, Kvarvikhavn (which eventually grew to absorb his royal seat in nearby Ingriþ) 'Ursking' Age The verb 'ursking' is common in many languages, and means roughly 'to plunder or pirate'. During the 6th to 9th Centuries, Ursk raids around the Teleros were common. However, over the course of this period, the raiding and pillaging evolved into bartering, trading and inventing. The Ursk are renowned as an industrious people and have a reputation which ultimately stems from this period, particularly in shipbuilding and weaponry. At this time, a rudimentary form of tetryllite was produced - a strong, light, carbon-steel alloy. Conquest of Kvidland In the early 11th century, 2,000 Ursk people, consisting of farmers, soldiers, builders and carpenters, sailed over the northern Telerosian Sea and landed on the west coast of northern Norderon, building the town of Vykkurhavn. This settlement expanded over 4 centuries, creating the Ursk colony of Kvidland, which evolved to become an important part of the Ursk nation state. No humans had actually settled the tundra forest lands yet, so Ursk colonists expanded unopposed into the land for thousands of kilometres. Middle Ages The Ursk language began to be written using the Latin script, but the old Runic alphabet was kept for liturgical and official documents. Ursk literature is rich and varied from this period, and the invention of the single-loop printing press in 1298 by Gudmund Kvallgrun, a prodigial engineer, allowed for tales to spread around the Ursk nation and the language to be standardised. The monarch at the time, Koneg Erik III, personally wrote the most famous Ursk story of all time, ''the Parable of the Wolf, Eagle and the Kraken, ''in 1311, basing it on common Ursk folklore. In 1397, a group of sailors travelled south to find a faster way to trade with the prehistoric empires in the East - the predecessor states of modern Skrattain nations - and inadvertently discovered Vaneron, which was later colonised by other nations. However, to this day, Vaneron is named after one of these explorers - Alberht Vannel. The Exploration Age Urskaland began to colonise land to the immediate south, in the west mainland of Norderon. This landmass would eventually be settled over the course of 200 years, beginning in the 1300s, to form Sonderland and Kaskedland, two Ursk nation states in their own right. The Ursk crown followed the doctrine of benign neglect with the colonies, allowing home rule. Kaskedland maintains the most independence out of the three major colonial provinces, but all have fully autonomous governments. Ursk traders frequently interacted with Skrattains, causing many loanwords to swap over between each language, such as the word for a head of state in Skrattain being ''konèg, a loan from Ursk, and the Ursk word for fishmeat being sonog, a loan from Skrattain. The merchant organisations of each nation often worked together to create monopolies over the spice trade and sugar trade until Vaneron, leading to a friendly relationship between the countries to this day. Eastern Border Nordesion was founded in the 15th century, and Ursk colonists who travelled far inland found themselves subject of a new, foreign state consisting of people who had only recently immigrated north. The Ursk crown made many concessions to the new Nordesion government regarding land, as this occured during a period of civil unrest in Kvidland due to the divorce of Koneg Johan V with a Kvidsk noble. The Ursk government feared that Nordesion would incite rebellion in Kvidland if concessions were not met, and the Ursk military was busy fighting to conquer Kaskedland at the time. This land concession would become a salient and contentious point later on in history. Industrial Revolution Urskaland was the first nation to industrialise in the 17th century, with the invention of the coal-powered steam engine. Copious deposits of coal and graphite in the Hovelands of Kvidland were mined up and used to create complex machinery and devices. Gunpowder from Skratta was traded for steam engines, allowing the Ursk military to utilise ranged weapons. The rail network of Urskaland was developed over the next hundred years or so. 17th Century The 17th century saw the advancement of Ursk technology along with many advancements in science, such as the discovery of the atom and various other natural phenomena. This century is often regarded as the second Ursk Golden Age as much of the basis for modern science was discovered and notated in this period. 18th Century The 18th century began excellently, with the nation riding on economic highs. However, an outbreak of variola supramajoris (often called blackpox) spread worldwide, causing the deaths of millions. Germ theory, which was pioneered around 100 years before, could not stop the devastation, and around 45% of the global population died, halting industrial progress significantly. Countries that had not industrialised to some degree before this event would have their progress stunted significantly. The outbreak began to clear up in Urskaland by 1775. Early Modern Period Urskaland struggled to recover from the blackpox, leading to Falange Espanol usurping it as the most powerful nation in the mid 19th Century. Urskaland's foreign policy was mainly isolationist at this period as the nation attempted to repair the damage caused. SKALAR Industries, a company created by Sigmund Byrnekur in 1867, was hired by the government to develop military technology so that Urskaland could defend its independence from other nations who were eager to exploit the weakness of Urskaland at the time Urskaland recovered very quickly, and SKALAR Corp merged with the government. Urskaland's economy and military recovered completely due to efforts and schemes by the governments. The Norderon Economic Union Urskaland applied to join the NEU in June 1966, an organisation which consisted of CSLYMY and the Skrattain Federation. The organisation sought to promote peace and prosperity around the world, and under the reign of Koneg Johan VII (a moderate, who was somewhat unpopular with the Ursk people as a result), who kept the Urskist government intact but also sought to cooperate more on an international level. However, Urskaland was responsible for 75% of the military peacekeeping forces of the organisation, and 60% of the cost. Johan VII died on the 8th of September, 1972, and his eldest son, Koneg Erik VI was far less moderate than his father. He decided to reduce Ursk involvement in the NEU and embrace isolationism much more, reducing the Ursk contribution to the organisation to be equal to the smaller of the other 2 nations. He also rerouted foreign aid back into the Ursk military, funding the JYKKERNAKT project which forms the backbone of the modern Ursk infantry. However, in 1979 in response to the Sonderl Incident, Erik VI invested more money and men back into the NEU, citing that "we (Urskaland) need to make friends". The Skrattain Federation began to openly denounce the Grutekonegsreik's government in 1982, beginning to distance the Ursk state (the 3rd largest military in the world) from the organisation. By 1984, a poll taken by the Ursk Ministry of International Relationships showed that 74% of the nation wished for the country to leave the NEU. Withdrawal from the NEU Urskaland formally withdrew from the NEU on the 21st of August 1989. The NEU was disbanded 12 years later. Koneg Erik VI kept Urskaland in an internationally neutral position until his death of pancreatic cancer in January 2017. His second-born child, Koneg Kristoffer III, was inaugurated on the 15th of January, 2017, at the age of 18. The Occidental Order Main article: The Occidental Order Urskaland founded the Occidental Order with the state of Falange Espanol on the 18th of June, 2017, at a conference between the two states in Nueva Madrid. This was the first major event in the reign of Kristoffer III, who personally suggested and organised the alliance between the two states with the help of the President at the time, Janus Sjuner. War with Cslymy Main article: The Cslymyian War On the 13th of February, 2020, approximately 450 thousand Cslymyian troops entered the northern Northeron tundra in an attempt to seize Kvidland and attempt an invasion of Urskaland. Ursk Spekter Divisions 0513-0671, who were stationed in Kvidland at the time, set up an exclusion zone about 250km inland from the Kvidsk border. Meanwhile, Ursk naval vessels in the Telerosian Sea set up a blockade, with bombing raids along the CSLYMYian coast. The Cslymyian force arrived to meet the Spekter troops on the 20th of February, resulting in various battles across the 400km long front. However, the elite SpekterNorþ troops, trained to deal with the subzero temperatures, made multiple breakthroughs along the line and severed the supply lines to the CSLYMYian troops, easily defeating them and making encirclements daily. Meanwhile, Kaskedland, supplied with JYKKERNAKT divisions from Urskaland, made a joint invasion with troops stationed in the Skrattain Federation, pushing up into CSLYMY. By the 21st, 8 beachheads had been established on the western coast of CSLYMY by Ursk soldiers, who pushed inland, meeting little resistance. A sizeable proportion of the CSLYMYian armed forces had died fighting in the north, with most starving or freezing to death. Ursk forces met with Kask forces in the south at the Battle of Baru Lymy, which lasted for 2 days. A sizeable garrison of CSLYMY forces was defeated by Coalition troops, who were reinforced by Republican Guard units from Falange Espanol in what was described by the Ursk general Ser Ander Bjornejarn as "a complete decimation of CSLYMY sic". The entire continental territory of CSLYMY was invaded in the following month. Second War with Cslymy ''Main article: The Second Cslymyian War'' CSLYMY invaded Max1mosberger, and the TOO and OFN decided once again that this was not acceptable, invading CSLYMY again and dissolving the state. War with Nordesion Main article: The Nordesion War A coalition of TOO and OFN forces invaded the state of Nordesion after it was kicked from NS. The invasion from the west was led from Kvidland, and Urskaland annexed much of the west of the country. The Two Terms The Nordesion authoritarian socialist government massacred thousands of Skrattain civilians, encouraging Skratta to cut all diplomatic ties with the nation. Meanwhile, Nordesion terror cells attacked Ursk border patrols, and Nordesion's overseas province of West Polarusk attacked Cand Youkeon's territory of Andutof-Pylaarnes. Urskaland, not wanting a war with the OFN, sent Nordesion 2 terms: give West Polarusk to CY and give territory up to the river Vsoporodsk to Kvidland. Nordesion Civil War Main article: The Nordesion Civil War Urskaland initially supported the democratic Blue faction, and Kaskedland sent volunteer troops to fight the government, pushing back at least 100km. However, Falange Espanol intervened too on the side of the government. Not wanting to fight their former allies, thee Ursk government sent a list of demands, including the immediate repatriation of all Skrattain citizens from Nordesion, and withdrew the troops. Falange Espanol would later turn on the government. The Great War ''Main article: The Great War'' A global coalition of nations intervened to invade and defeat Falange Espanol after systematic abuse of their power as well as desiring to overthrow a corrupt, authoritarian dictatorship which was hostile towards all foreign powers. Urskaland, Cand Youkeons and the Skrattain Federation led the coalition, defeating Falange Espanol and finally restoring peace to the world. On the 24th of August, 2029, just 1 months after the end of the war, the Prime Minister of Urskaland, Jorgen Sonderman, revealed that high-ranking members of the OsKP were being paid by Espanolian authorities to support the Imperial Pact, a successor to the TOO, which Urskaland did not join. He invited foreign investigatory authorities to help find out who else was involved in this scheme. Geography Urskaland is located in Western and Northern Norderon. Elevation ranges from the Aunafall mountain range in Urskaland proper (highest point: Adaberg at 2038m), to the salt marshes in southern Sonderland. Urskaland proper is covered by lots of arable land, and has rich mineral deposits underneath it. Kvidland also has large supplies of natural resources such as uranium, lignite, coal and iron. Climate Urskaland Urskaland has a boreal-temperate seasonal climate dominated by the front between cold northerly winds and warmer southeasterly winds. This causes frequent rainfall - the average annual rainfall in Urskaland is about 1318mm. Summers are temperate, averaging around 20°C, and winters tend to be cold, averaging around -6°C. Kvidland Kvidland has a tundral seasonal climate dominated by frozen northerly winds. The average summer temperature here is only 8°C, and winter temperatures can range from -10 to -30°C. Sonderland and Kaskedland Sonderland and Kaskedland have temperate climate, dominated by easterly warm winds and cooler northerly winds. The average temperature in summer is 23°C, and the cool winters average between 6°C and 2°C. Politics Main article: Konegs of Urskaland ''Main article: List of constituencies and þyþmennur'' Government The Ursk Government (Ursk: Folkesþing) ''is a semi-presidential constitutional monarchy. The government has consisted of the same structure for 870 years, and the Ursk have always had some kind of national assembly/parliament to govern alongside the monarch. The power of the monarchy has always been limited by the national assembly, but the monarch still retains a few powers. Formation of Governments Every 3 years, the Ursk public are able to vote for a party they want to be in change, through the proportional representation system. Historically, the public would go to a special town building to vote, but since 1940 it has been done electronically. It is illegal to not vote in an Ursk election, and any person of >75% Ursk ancestry and pays taxes, or anyone that has lived in Ursaland for more than 10 years and pays taxes, can vote in the elections. Elections On an Ursk election day, the public have 16 hours to vote for the president they would like to see in power. The votes are counted, and the president is elected. At the same time, the National Assembly ''(Ursk: Þyþþing) ''is formed. The vote proportion in each constituency is used to decide the representative for that region. These 325 politicians, one from each constituency, form the ''Þyþþing. The President then meets the Monarch, and together they choose a politician to be the Prime Minister. This can be from any political party, but is usually from the same party as the President. Together, the Prime Minister and President form the Cabinet, which is made from Ministers. The National Assembly can hold votes of no confidence on any member of the Cabinet to force the President and Prime Minister to make a different choice, but this needs a 2/3 majority. Legislation A member of the Þyþþing ''can propose a Bill. The ''Þyþþing ''will then vote on the Bill, and if the Bill has a majority of at least 4 votes, it will be submitted as a Proposal. The Monarch, Prime Minister and President meet every Tuesday evening to review pending Proposals, and discuss whether the Proposal should be passed or not. If 2 of these 3 decide that it should, then it becomes an official Act. If the Triad veto the Proposal, it can be reviewed by the ''Þyþþing. ''They will vote on it again - this time, if the law gets a majority of more than 75%, then it becomes an Act. Political Parties ''Main article: Political parties of Urskaland Current Government The current government of the Grutekonegsreik is formed from an alliance between the UÞFP (seen as more moderate) and the OsKP (seen as more hard-right). The executive branch of the government is in a state of 'co-dependence' where the Prime Minster and the President are not from the same party, but the two are on very amicable terms, and the alliance allows for both parties to collaborate to further Urskaland, rather than block each other's bills to reduce efficiency of the government. The two sides do sometimes disagree, usually on laws regarding taxation and the economy. Internal affairs The current roles in the Ursk Government are: * 'Minister of Agriculture '(handles agricultural coordination and output management. Held by an agrarian scientist) * 'Minister of Architecture '(responsible for authorising the constructuion and design of new structures around the state. Held by a structural engineer or architect) ' * '''Minister of Defence' (responsible for the deployment of the Ursk armed forces, supply lines and advisor to the government on military strategy in times of war. This role must be filled by someone who has served in the Ursk military for 7 years.) * Minister of Education (responsible for managing the education system and curriculum. This role must be filled by someone who has worked as a teacher or tutor for 7 years.) * Minister of Energy '''(responsible for the management of energy production, sustainability and energy management schemes. Must be occupied by a person who has worked in the energy industry for 7 years) * '''Minister of Finance (responsible for assisting the economy and advising the government. They also manage and suggest interest rates, economic policy, and records government bonds. This role must be filled by someone who has worked in an economy-related role for 7 years, such as market trading or insurance.) * Minister of Health (responsible for the management of the health service, public initiatives such as the sugar levy, and mass immunisation. Must be filled by a person who has been a doctor or has at least 7 years of medical professional experience.) * Minister of Industry (general industrial management, and labour laws. Also responsible for managing Ursk labour camps. Held by an executive management professional) * Minister of Infrastructure (responsible for management of transport, road management and management of necessities such as garbage disposal. Must be held by an engineer who has worked for 7 years.) * Minister of the Interior (responsible for emergency management, elections and other internal affairs. Held by an administrator) * Minister of International Relations (handles trade deals, diplomacy, and representation at international events. Held by a diplomat) * Minister of Justice (administration of justice. Held by a lawyer.) * Minister of Police (policing, immigration, martial law. Held by a policeman or policewoman) * Minister of Science '(responsible for coordinating scientific analysis and experiments carried out by the state and organising peer review of theories. Can be held by a scientist from any discipline, but tradition means this is usually a physicist or chemist * '''Minister of Telecommunications '(handles radio and Internet communications around the nation. Held by a communications engineer) * '''Minister of the Ursk Race (cultural preservation and linguistic analysis. Held by a linguist or historian) Controvesy The Ursk government has been under fire from nations at many times in the past, despite the Ursk government being ruthlessly efficient, due to a streamlined design. As the National Assembly has strict policies on who can submit themselves as a representative, the council often accurately represents the wishes of the population. 'Mandatory Compliance' Many liberal nations view Urskaland with suspicion. For one, the government has been accused of being authoritarian at many times in the past, despite Urskaland being a 'democratic' nation. The government has a policy, which is called 'mandatory compliance' - citizens are free to do what they like within the law most of the time, but under times of crisis have an obligation to comply with the government's orders. While this has been a source of controversy, it has allowed the nation to do impressive things. For example, the 5km Rondesoggen tunnel was built in just 48 hours in 2002, when the Ursk government commandeered the project and rerouted local supplies into the project. One Party State Contoversy The two-party system has come under fire, as the policies of the parties are so similar. This has been exacerbated by the recent alliance of the two parties into a coalition - Skrattain politicians have stated that voting in an Ursk election is 'pointless'. Human rights violations, banned parties and cover-ups The Cslymy-funded Ursk Communist Party was outlawed in 1951, even though it saw no native Ursk votes. The same happened to the Ursk Democratic Socialist Party, which was outlawed in 1963 after being funded by the Skrattain Federation. The leaders of the parties are believed to have been executed. Foreign relations Urskers and Skrattains have always had lots of mutual respect and admiration for each other's nations. The Skrattain influence as the birthplace of liberty and democracy and a model for Ursk civilisation and leglislature, especially in the earliest days of the GKR, are undeniable. Similarly, Skrattains admire Ursk for their rich history and ruthless efficiency. Military Main article: The Royal Ursk Armed Forces The Ursk military is one of the oldest professional standing armies in the world, founded by Koneg Asbjorn I as his first act as the first Koneg of Urskaland. He appointed his brother-in-law, Ingver Danumgard, as the first Secretary, the second-in-command of the organisation. In addition, the Ursk military is often regarded as the most elite, and best-trained, in the entire world, with operations carried out in the CSLYMYian, Nordesian, and Great War illustrating this fact. Economy The Ursk economy is mostly a free market, but there are some regulations put on by the government to ensure that all Ursk are able to live. Welfare is uncommon, as the massive economic output of the nation means that the minimum living wage (Λ''150,000) and lowest 10% average wage (Λ''400,000) are nowhere near each other. This means that the standard of living is extremely high, and taxes are kept at a flat rate of 12.6%. Currency The Ursk unit of currency is the Geld (Λ''), which cannot be subdivided in physical currency. One Geld is roughly equal to £0.149/$0.191. The Ursk geld (URG) was introduced in 885 to replace the Kronen/Yren currencies used in most of the nation. Originally, the Geld was pegged onto the gold standard, with 1kg of gold being equal to 1000 Geld. However, in 1767, the Geld's value began to rapidly increase due to a decrease in the production of gold and silver, meaning that the Ursk government altered the gold standard evaluation to prevent economic collapse due to an increase in debt and a decrease in economic output from the Blackpox outbreak. The Ursk Government's Minister for Finance uses computer algorithms to measure the value of the Geld, and print money or destroy money during times of up- or downturn. This has led to the Geld having a very consistent and stable value in the modern era, and as a result it is commonly used in states with less stable economies as an informal currency. Denomination The geld comes in 6 denominations, 3 of which are coins and 2 of which are notes: ''the black 1Λ coin, the silver 5Λ coin, the gold 10Λ coin, the white 50Λ note and the blue 100Λ note. Science and technology Science and technology are two very important parts of the Ursk economy, which is mainly tertiary (service) and quaternary (research). Urskaland is the highest exporter of electronic goods in total and per capita, exporting an estimated $8 trillion to other nations annually. SKALAR Corp. SKALAR Corp. are a privately held company founded in 1867 by Sigmund Byrnekur. The company is arguably the most powerful in the world, with an employee count of around 1.2 million globally, and offices all around the GKR, SF and CY. SKALAR has been in close collaboration with the Ursk government since its creation. The firm has many military contracts to produce arms and vehicles for the Ursk military, and takes in an estimated $15 trillion annually. Energy Initially, much of the electrical grids in Urskaland were powered by coal, mined from deposits in Kvidland. However, since 1950, the government has pushed to become carbon-neutral by 2050. This mass campaign has proven to be extremely challenging and cost a massive quantity of money, but by 2023, 98% of the energy grid was powered by renewable sources, mainly geothermal and wind power. SKALAR are currently working on cold fusion devices, but official testing is not expected to begin until 2032. Infrastructure All areas of Urskaland are served very well by a capable and efficient public transport network, with around 1.7 million kilometres of paved road and a 120,000km rail network. Much of the inner city is served by monorail network. Since 1999, every Ursk citizen is able to use their NIDC card to 'tap-in' and 'tap-out' of all forms of public transport, removing the necessity of buying tickets, which has reduced travel times by 28%. However, since the nation's roads were not designed for cars, especially in the west and north of Kvarvikhavn, there can be some traffic in denser parts of the country, especially in the Urskesei. The Kvarvikhavn Council has spent large quantities of money repaving road, such as the Konegsraut being rebuilt between 1967 and 1969 incrementally to facilitate cars. Demographics Ethnic groups Permanent immigrants are rare in much of Urskaland. Only 0.6% of Ursk citizens in 2019 came from abroad - around 3.47 million people, mainly from Falange Espanol and the Skrattain Federation. Language Ursk is the official language of Urskaland, but around 88% of Ursk citizens are multilingual, with approximately 60% being able to communicate in English. The average Ursk citizen can speak 1.38 foreign languages. Religion Main article: Tryggism Tryggism is the state religion of Urskaland, although around 60% of people in Urskaland would consider themselves agnostic or atheist, according to a poll in 2028. Tryggism was formalised during the Ursk unification in an attempt to incite kinship and prevent war. Tryggism has had such a monumental impact on the Ursk culture and national identity that it is almost synonymous with being Ursk, and many religious phrases have entered the Ursk language as a result. Health The average life expectancy of an Ursk person is 101.9 years - 101.7 for men and 102.1 for women. The Ursk healthcare system was nationalised and standardised in 1474. Since then, it has become one of the most advanced systems in the world, serving an estimated 28% of the Ursk population in some way annually, and receiving around 10% of Ursk government expenditure. Culture Literature Ursk literature ranges from poetic sagas written in Old Ursk Runic from the 7th and 8th centuries, to sagas and stories made by Urskers to this day. One of the most famous is the Grutsaga. Music Ursk music has had 4 distinct phases: folk music, mainly dominated by string instruments, from around the 10th Century to the 15th Century; classical march music, influenced by similar styles from Skratta in the 16th to 19th Century; Post-classical, encompassing styles like swing and early forms of rock music from the 20th Century; finally, the modern music scene, which encompasses rock music and electronic music, dominated by synthesisers and bass instruments. Ursk music has always been a very important aspect of Ursk culture, dominated by generally melancholic songs with lyrics of deep meaning. Many ancient saga stories are used as lyrics, especially in much of folk music. Technology Ursk people are renowned for being industrious and advanced, having produced many of the technological innovations which the world enjoys. In ancient times, the Ursk were globally regarded as the best smiths and shipbuilders in the entire world. Many foreign kings and soldiers would visit Urskaland to buy weaponry or boats from them. Cuisine Ursk food is based on healthiness and balance, with dishes of fish and vegetables being very common. Cheeses and pastries are also quite common sights in Urskaland. However, the Ursk do enjoy alcohol - there is no legal drinking age and the average Ursk citizen consumes around 15 litres of alcohol annually. This has led to the Ursk having a 20% higher chance of getting liver cirrhosis than other groups of people, and the government has funded campaigns such as 'Beerless June' to encourage a reduce in alcohol consumption. Media The Ursk National Broadcasting Service is the primary, state- and private-owned media service in Urskaland, operating news, television and radio channels. However, the organisation has been criticised for being too pro-Ursk, which led to the creation of other Philosophy The Ursk regard for philosophy is dismissive - many of the nihilistic and perfectionist outlook of Skrattain and Lymyian philosophers is disregarded by the pragmatic and determined Ursk populace. Much of Ursk philosophy is based on the principle of the preservation of the Ursk nation state, and self-improvement. Mercantilism Since the Ursking Age, where Ursk sailors would raid and plunder around the Teleros Sea, the Ursk have been a seafaring and trading people. This is reflected by their trade missions with Skrattain merchants. Nowadays, the spirit of Ursk pragmatism and mercantilism is illustrated by the prevalence of Ursk companies such as SKALAR. National Spirit Never have I seen such a determined, united and genuinely patriotic people as those blond northerners. The Ursk people love their state, not because they are scared of their government or their Koneg, but because their government truly represents them. In all actuality, it is for this reason that the Ursk should be feared, more than the Falangists, who only do what they are told out of terror; more than the Nordesians, who do what they are told out of desperation. The Ursk are not told, but choose to do themselves, and for this reason, they are an inexorable force. ''- Global Politics and Relations, 2011, by Kiralino Soreliki, a Skrattain author.'' The Ursk populace are fiercely patriotic, but not jingoistic. All Ursk are made to believe from a young age that their duty as an Ursk person is to serve their nation. The Ursk government is not comprised of career politicians, and any Ursk person can run for office. The populist government means that the will of the people will always actually be carried out, unlike in many nations where democracy is a facade for bureaucracy. Furthermore, Ursk culture revolves around kin and legacy. The Urskers care for each other and wish to be remembered in the future by their great deeds, leading them to benefit their people rather than hinder them. Symbols There are many cultural symbols which relate to the Ursk. Stereotypes Urskers are generally portrayed as alcoholics, or as very stoic and reserved. Urskers tend to be quite tall and as a result many depictions of Ursk people are as such. Gallery Category:Nation Category:The Ursk